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Australia, N.Zealand order review of 'bible' gunsights
AFP ^ | 22 January 2010 | AFP

Posted on 01/22/2010 5:23:26 PM PST by James C. Bennett

SYDNEY — Australia Friday ordered its military to look at removing biblical references from weapons used by troops in Afghanistan, after New Zealand banned the "completely inappropriate" inscriptions.

Australia's Defence Minister John Faulkner said the military had been unaware of the meaning of the letters and numbers etched into the US-made gunsights, which refer to passages in the New Testament.

"I have asked Defence to examine the options available to deal with this matter without compromising the safety of our troops and critically important capabilities," Faulkner said.

Faulkner's comments came as neighbouring New Zealand condemned the inscriptions as potentially inflammatory.

"They cause the same problems as putting slogans on bombs. We should not be doing anything that might give opponents any propaganda leverage," New Zealand's Defence Minister Wayne Mapp told AFP.

"The markings are completely inappropriate and the Defence Force will be looking at ways to get rid of them, now and for future deliveries."

Related article: US firm backs off 'Jesus' scopes

Australia and New Zealand both have forces operating in Afghanistan and there are fears that the references could endanger coalition troops fighting in Muslim-majority nations where the US military is already bitterly resented.

The New Zealand Defence Force has 260 of the rifle sights, which come from the US company Trijicon, while Australia's military has some 1,050.

Trijicon, which also supplies US and British forces, said it has inscribed references to the New Testament on the metal casings of its gunsights for more than two decades.

But after angry reaction from Muslim and religious freedom groups to the news that it has multimillion-dollar contracts to supply hundreds of thousands of the gunsights to the US military, the firm said it would provide the US with kits to remove the references.

(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: australia; banglist; sights; trijicon
Sad.
1 posted on 01/22/2010 5:23:27 PM PST by James C. Bennett
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To: James C. Bennett
Yeah, those references might become potentially inflammatory but New Zealand will first have to distribute Bibles to all the AlQaida and Taliban!

Good luck doing that guys, but you'd best start early eh.

2 posted on 01/22/2010 5:27:03 PM PST by muawiyah ("Git Out The Way")
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To: James C. Bennett
It wasn’t some idiot muzzie who kicked up this fuss, it was MICHAEL WEINSTEIN, from the very dishonestly named, “Military Religious Freedom Foundation”.

http://wwww.mrff.org

Many parts of his dishonest page distract from his actual aim (war on Christians); seeing all these aged Constitution scrolls and other Americana you half expect that Ben Franklin will stroll out with buckle shoes, powdered wig, and half-moon glasses, but I asssssuuuure you he is all about stamping on the bibles of US military people:

He was a USAF J.A.G. puke who worked —of all people— for Ronald Reagan, then made some bucks in the private sector suing folks for Ross Perot. Then he retired at from 2006 and has for the past 4 years been waging Secular Jihad against men who treacherously fight muslim folks who throw acid on girls and say Jews are monkeys (don’t ask me).

Sounds crazy huh? He’s overweight, ugly, angry, and other bad stuff —things you can see from the news broadcast clips he has at his website:

http://www.militaryreligiousfreedom.org/weinstein2.html

Yes, while we are out trying to head off Armageddon or widespread terror, this guy chooses to focus on stuff that’s written on rifles —amazing, isn’t it?

I do not understand what drives this incredibly deluded, zeppelin-like REMF’ing insect.

Michael Weinstein: Bad for Jews, Bad for the USA, Bad for risk-taking American soldiers

3 posted on 01/22/2010 5:28:53 PM PST by gaijin
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To: James C. Bennett
Some folks might get the idea I'm just ridiculing the intellect of the Kiwis, but I'm not ~ it's the whole scene ~ millions of sheep, egg laying mammals, funny trees found no where else, mountains, tattoos, great white sharks, people out there with the sheep doing lord knows what.......

It's all so stupid and pitiful and now they get hung up on the fact someone noticed a "Bible reference" ~ just a reference ~ not even a Bible, or the words.

It's like they left their brains somewhere else, or maybe the Maori ate them.

4 posted on 01/22/2010 5:29:51 PM PST by muawiyah ("Git Out The Way")
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To: James C. Bennett

I wrote the manufacturer and thanked them for putting the references in the scopes.

Only the cretin object.

Contrary to some, this is Still a Christian Nation, and will continue to be so long after Obozo is gone.


5 posted on 01/22/2010 5:33:21 PM PST by Texas Fossil (Government, even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one.)
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To: muawiyah

Egg laying mammals? Wrong country, mate.


6 posted on 01/22/2010 5:46:22 PM PST by stormer
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To: James C. Bennett

this revelation will make the sights collectors’ items, if thay aren’t all ready...not to worry...i doubt very much it bothers the snipers themselves... Jesus IS the Light of this world however most of the world prefers darkness... one thing sure, His light will never go out even if one’s free will chooses to block it....


7 posted on 01/22/2010 6:00:33 PM PST by rusureitflies? (OSAMA BIN LADEN IS DEAD! There, I said it. Prove me wrong.)
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To: muawiyah

OK. Then stop shouting “Allah Akbar” when you blow yourselfs up.


8 posted on 01/22/2010 6:44:05 PM PST by encm(ss)
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